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RIM begins laying off high-level staff: source — Research In Motion Ltd.'s RIM-T new CEO Thorsten Heins has begun getting rid of high-level staff at the troubled smartphone giant, according to a source close to the company. — Ahead of RIM reporting fourth-quarter and year-end financial results …

Apple, Foxconn vow wide revamp of worker conditions — (Reuters) - In a landmark development for the way Western companies do business in China, Apple Inc said Thursday it had agreed to work with partner Foxconn to substantially improve wages and working conditions at the factories that produce its wildly popular products.

Foxconn Auditor Finds ‘Serious’ Violations of Chinese Law — An audit of Foxconn Technology Group (2317) found “serious and pressing” violations of Chinese labor laws, prompting the biggest maker of Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPads to pledge to cut working hours and give employees more oversight.

Apple's War on Android — In her black robe and strand of white pearls, Lucy Koh projects the serious, deliberate demeanor befitting a U.S. District Court judge. The Harvard-educated former federal prosecutor has served on the California state bench and as a partner in a Silicon Valley law firm …

Google to Sell Tablets on Its Own This Year — Google Inc., undaunted by a short-lived attempt to sell a smartphone on its own, is now pushing into Apple's iPad market. — The Internet search company is planning to market and sell tablets directly to consumers through an online store …

Star-struck Japan PM befriends Facebook's Zuckerberg — (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda frequently entertains dignitaries from all over the world, but he was a touch star-struck on Thursday when he hosted a young billionaire with a whiff of celebrity: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

Google's Grand Plan — The search company no longer dabbles in exotic ideas. Now, it's all business. — In a typical month, David Lawee meets two dozen founders of new companies. He grills them on their businesses, their ambitions, their funding, and their clever ideas for the future.

Google's New ‘Account Activity’ Is a Sham — When it comes to privacy, Google wants to be the good guy . Too bad that's not enough. — Google Account Activity is Google's fairly transparent attempt to differentiate itself from Facebook by being open about what it knows about you.

Best Buy feels Amazon squeeze, to close 50 big-box stores — Selling consumer electronics isn't as easy as it used to be for Best Buy. The big-box retailer is closing 50 stores and compensating employees based on customer service after its fiscal fourth-quarter sales fell short of expectations.

Google's Self-Driving Car Takes Blind Man for a Ride — Google this week posted a YouTube video (below) showing Morgan Hill, Calif. resident Steve Mahan, who is legally blind, being taken on a ride in its self-driving Toyota Prius. Google released the video to celebrate …

Facebook Delves Deeper Into Search — On Feb. 1, a few hours after Facebook declared its intention to raise $5 billion in what will likely be the largest initial public offering in tech history, Mark Zuckerberg gave close followers of his company a potential clue to its future.